CARSON, Calif.—While it appears that Saturday's MLS Cup final will be played beneath the shadow of David Beckham's departure, all of American soccer is facing the specter of Landon Donovan's potential retirement.

Donovan, the Los Angeles Galaxy captain who also is the U.S. national team's all-time leading scorer, first discussed his fatigue and flagging motivation in May. He hasn't changed his tune much since, despite helping his club reach its third MLS Cup final in four seasons.

Donovan, 30, told The Los Angeles Times this week that following Saturday's game he is "going to take as much time as I need and decide if and when I'm ready to come back. I can't put a time frame on that. If it takes two weeks and I'm ready to go again or two months or a year or two years. Or never. I don't know."

On Thursday, as the competing teams, league officials and media began gathering in Southern California in anticipation of Saturday's match, both Beckham and MLS commissioner Don Garber lobbied publicly for Donovan's return.

"Landon's a great player. He's a great talent. He's a special talent on this team and a special talent in this country," Beckham said. "He's still young. I personally hope that he doesn't stop playing because I believe he still has a few good years left in him.

"Whether he needs a break or to step away from the game for a while and then come back, 30 years old is still young. You know I hope he continues, so let's hope this is not his last game. And let's hope when he spoke about how he didn't have the hunger like he used to, let's hope it was just a moment that he had."

Despite the nagging injuries and his apparent increasing discomfort with the responsibilities and pressures associated with his fame, Donovan has played well this season when fit. He exploded for a hat trick in an exhibition against Scotland shortly after his initial comments on the subject and has been a key contributor, when healthy, for the Galaxy.

He had nine goals and 14 assists in the regular season, tied for the second-highest combined total of his career, and added one goal and three assists during the playoffs.

"What we're faced with now is a 30-year-old elite athlete who started at 16," Galaxy associate head coach Dave Sarachan told the Times. "So he's accumulated a lot of minutes and miles. Eventually, things start to wear down and it's new to Landon. Mentally, it was a hard year for Landon from that standpoint. But when he's been healthy, he's been the most influential player we've had."

Beckham said Thursday that Donovan's issues off the pitch haven't affected him on it.

"From what I see, when he's on the training field and on the (game) field, his hunger is still there for me. I hope a talented player like him continues to play for this club," the Englishman said.

The timing of Donovan's decision will have a significant impact on the Galaxy. The club already knows it must replace Beckham, but Donovan's departure would open up another designated player spot that coach Bruce Arena would have to fill in relatively short order. The offseason is brief. The Galaxy are scheduled to open the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals during the first week of March.

The absence of Donovan's slashing runs through midfield and quick, decisive combination play with striker Robbie Keane would change the Galaxy's look considerably. A hiatus or retirement would leave a deeper impact on the sport itself.

Donovan has five goals across three World Cup tournaments, won three CONCACAF Gold Cup and four MLS Cup titles and been named U.S. Soccer's athlete of the year a record four times. He was the first American-born player to go mainstream. For that reason, and many more, Garber is in no hurry to say goodbye.

"We certainly hope that he's here until he's 37 years old like David is," Garber said Thursday at The Home Depot Center. "I got criticized by one of the on-air broadcasters for talking about how important (Donovan) was in helping to build Major League Soccer and build soccer in America.

"I read these quotes that there were all these guys in the old days of the NASL. That might have been true in the '70s, but Landon has played here since he was 17 years old and has become the face of American soccer and I think really will be viewed as one of the key drivers of the success of the sport overall in our country.